This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
Listen
Ali champions Gaelic reading
10/10/2003
Broadcaster Ali Abbasi has become the
first Gaelic Reading Champion.
The Radio Scotland travel presenter
has been learning Gaelic for two years and will compete in
this year's Royal National Mod in Oban.
First Minister Jack McConnell and
Education Minister Peter Peacock - who are both Reading
Champions - today welcomed the latest volunteer to join the
ranks on the day that the draft Gaelic Language Bill was
published.
Scotland's Reading Champions are
authors, politicians and celebrities who are backing the
Scottish Executive's Read Together campaign to highlight
the benefits of parents and carers sharing books with their
children from a very young age. New champions are
constantly being recruited and it is hoped other Gaelic
speakers will also lend their support.
During a visit to St Columba's Primary
Gaelic Medium Unit in Oban, First Minister Jack McConnell
said:
"Ali Abbasi is a brilliant guy to be the first
Gaelic Reading Champion. He commits himself
wholeheartedly to everything he does and will bring all
the infectious enthusiasm of someone who has recently
learned the language.
"The Reading Champions scheme is about
encouraging children to read in any of our rich and
diverse languages. By encouraging them to pick up a
book, we can open up new worlds of adventure and
learning."
Mr Abbasi said:
"I never enjoyed reading but learning
Gaelic has opened up a new world of literature to me. It's
great to be able to enjoy some of the wonderful Gaelic
works in their original language, without having to rely on
English translations.
"That's why I'm supporting this
campaign by becoming a Reading Champion. I hope that
parents and children will enjoy reading together - whether
in English or Gaelic - so that more and more youngsters
develop a lifelong love of books.
I personally will not stop learning."
Mr Peacock added:
"Encouraging children to enjoy reading
from an early age not only gives them a great start in life
but also equips them with valuable skills that they can use
for the rest of their lives.
"That's just as true whether children
are reading in English or Gaelic. Growing numbers of
youngsters are being educated in Gaelic Medium classes and
I hope they will become lifelong Gaelic readers.
"I'm sure that Ali Abbasi's enthusiasm
for Gaelic will prove infectious and I hope he will inspire
more families to read together."
Read Together encourages parents and
carers to share books with their child from a very early
stage. The dedicated website offers ideas about reading and
recommended books, alongside encouragement from Reading
Champions of all ages, from all over Scotland:
www.readtogether.co.uk
A Gaelic edition of the Read Together
leaflet is available free of charge from the Scottish
Executive Education Department. Copies have already been
distributed to parents and carers of children attending
Gaelic medium units.
The second phase of the Read Together
radio and press advertising campaign will start on October
17.
Reading Champions are being sought
from all over Scotland to join existing Reading Champions,
including the authors JK Rowling, Aileen Paterson and
Scoular Anderson, as well as celebrities David Sneddon,
Richard Wilson, Fred Macaulay, Nick Nairn and Sandy Lyle. A
full list can be found on the readtogether website.